Pull of the Void
by pwnutbutter
Summary: Link was left alone. With no one to communicate with, who will be there for him when he faces his greatest adversary yet, himself. Cover by kinokashi on DeviantArt.
1. Chapter 1

Link was at a loss for words. The Mirror of Twilight, shattered. He was, for the first time in his two-year journey, really and truly alone. In the middle of the night, Link stepped into his humble, if dusty, abode. Alone. He had left Epona hidden in the forest. Link wasn't sure if he even wanted to return to Ordon Village. He was a changed man…different. After all he'd been through, he wasn't sure if he could live around people again.

After Midna's sudden departure, Princess Zelda had offered him titles, rewards, and a home in Castle Town, but Link was quick to decline. He couldn't stand the hustle and bustle of Castle Town, or really that many people in general. It was much easier being a wolf.

Link's heart hurt as the thought crossed his mind. Would he ever be able to assume his bestial form again? As far as he knew, Midna had departed with the shadow crystal, and he knew of no other way to transform. He really did enjoy being a wolf. Probably more so than being a human. Cloaked in fur, he could slip away from his Hylian problems, live a more simple life. And by the Goddesses, it was fun.

Link quickly lit a fire, and as heat began to fill the chilly home, he started to unpack. Reaching into his never-ending pouches, the Hylian pulled out an odd assortment of items. A colossal-sized wallet. A pair of clawshots. A spinner he'd use for who knows what. A giant ball and chain. Link was finally starting to get to the bottom of his pouches when his fingers brushed across something hard and pointed. Something familiar.

Eyes lighting up with hope, Link pulled out the Shadow Crystal, only to set it down with disappointment. The Crystal had lost when the light and Twilit realms separated. The once pulsing orange lines were now dark and lifeless.

Deciding he had had enough disappointment for the day, Link put all of his things in his chest downstairs, took off his bloodstained Hero's clothes, and called it a night, careful to extinguish his fire so the nearby villages residents wouldn't notice his house was once again occupied. What he didn't notice was the gray and blue letter tucked in the bottom of his pouch.

* * *

Link woke up with a start, instinctively reaching for his sword, before realizing he had left it downstairs. While it certainly wasn't the Master Sword, the sages had insisted he leave it in the ruined temple, it was still a fine sword given to him by the princess.

The former Hero was torn from his thoughts when he heard the source of his awareness, an argument outside.

"I could have sworn I saw a light in there!" rang a soft, familiar voice.  
"Quiet! You'll wake the whole town!"  
"But if he's returned…I have to talk to him, Father!"

Link recognized the two voices as his childhood friend, Ilia, and her father, Mayor Bo. His booming voice, struggling to stay silent, echoed across the small clearing.

"Leave it till morning. You're tired, and not thinking straight."  
"But Father…"  
"No buts. Now let's go to bed."

Link cursed internally, realizing he had overstayed his welcome, and wishing he hadn't lit the fire. He'd slept in harsher conditions than a cold tree house! Stilling his breath, the Hylian waiting for the receding footsteps into the cool night air that soon followed. He got up hurriedly and started to repack, knowing that if he didn't want to be found, he'd have to leave now. Realizing he had nothing else to wear, having outgrown everything else, put his Hero's clothes back on.

Quickly rummaging through his storage chest, he pulled out the items that would be necessary for an extended stay in the forest, such as his hunting bow, a hunting knife, and a fresh bedroll. As he was about to close his chest, his fingers once again brushed against the nonfunctional crystal. After a moment of hesitation, Link decided to bring it with him, if as a memento more than any else. Satisfied, he left quietly in the early hours of the morning, not looking back.

* * *

 _A/N: Hello,_ _all! This was originally the response to a dare from a fanfiction-writing friend of mine, so it currently doesn't have much direction, just something I'm doing for fun. I don't write creatively much, so it's a totally new experience for me._

 _~Jonathan_


	2. Chapter 2

The sun, rising over the horizon, sent rays of light between the trees and dancing across the water of Faron Spring, slowly bringing the forest to life. A stray sunbeam glinted off of the stone in Link's hands into the warrior's eye, temporarily blinding him. Blinking furiously, he continued his current activity of studying the now dark stone. Rubbing his fingers across the magically sharp edges brought back memories for Link, memories of panic and bloodlust for sure, but also memories of the more peaceful moments, when he could slip away into another skin and hide from the world.

* * *

" _And…finished!"_

 _A black imp-like creature bounded towards a man leaning against a ruined archway of a one magnificent temple, prize floating in her hand. A black and orange stone sat framed in metal, with a long leather cord attached, trailing behind._

" _Now you can access its powers without it being stuck in your head, seeing as you can't very well hold it with paws, and I'm certainly not holding it against the whole time you want to be transformed." she said, crossing her arms. Link uncrossed his in response, pushing his body off of the wall. "Oi! You can at least say thank you, you big lout!" Link grinned and gave a swipe at the stone's cord. With a graceful twirl, the Twili dodged, saying, "Just for that, you're becoming a mangy mutt right now!" Midna proceeded to snap her fingers, teleporting the stone necklace onto Link's neck with a flair of black particles. Without a hitch, Link's rambunctious laughter smoothly transitioned into huffing as the transformation was complete. Tongue lolling, Link dashed off into the glade in an effort to avoid Midna._

" _Hey! Get back here!" came a distant voice behind the canine as he ran deeper into the forest. He felt nothing but exhilaration as he became one with the surrounding nature._

* * *

Link was pulled from his lamenting with a start at the sounding of rushing hooves. He stood up and turned around in one fluid motion to meet his horse, Epona.

"Shh, what's wrong girl?" he cooed into his frightened horse's ears. Since Ganondorf's defeat, monsters had become increasingly rare, and to see one this close to the Spring was almost unheard of. Link narrowed his eyes as the wind changed directions. Ever since his first transformation, the wolf-man had developed much keener senses. While not nearly as effective as they were in his lupine form, they certainly helped in a pinch.

The downwind had brought with it a smell he was very familiar with. Not a monster or a fellow Hylian, but a wolf. In the distance between the trees, illuminated by the newly born sun he caught a glimpse of gray fur. Believing it to be a lone wolf, abandoned by its pack, Link focused on calming his horse down, as no animal would be stupid enough to take on both a human and a horse. Suspicion proving true, the lone wolf slunk around the edges of the clearing, avoiding the horse and rider, before collapse in the shallows of the spring.

Now that the wolf was closer, link could see that it was badly injured, with a deep gash running the length of its leg. Not wanting to spook it, surprised that the wild animal would get so close in the first place, link only watched as the wolf began to lick its wounds, letting the healing waters flow over it. Looking at the wolf, Link couldn't help but see himself in the creature. Both were fearsome beasts, and, judging by the amount of scars on the gray wolf's pelt, have seen a lot of battle. Both were injured in such a way that they couldn't return to their old ways, the wolf with its lame leg, and Link with his emotional scars and secrets. Battle had changed both of them, and neither would ever be the same again.

Epona whined and pulled against the reins, still trying to get away from the injured animal. Said animal noticed, stood up, and limped back into the trees, leg looking a bit better than it was before. As soon as he was sure it was gone, Link sat back down in the water, watching the fairies dance across the surface. This water could only heal physical wounds. He couldn't find solace here. Link wished that the water could make things the way they were before. No, that's not true. He wanted the water to wash away his humanity, leaving him free to romp the plains as a free spirit, without a care in the world. These thoughts weighed heavy in his mind as he slowly drifted to sleep…


End file.
